Fence-machine.



OLE. MERGHEN.

IENGB MAGHINE. APPLICATION FILED JULY 20, 1907. 899,419.- Patented Sept. 22,, 1908.

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Patented Sept.22,1908

CHARLIE E. MEROHEN, OF'BLOOMFIELD, NEBRASKA. 4

FENCE-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 22, 1908.

Application filed July 20, 1907. Serial No. 384,752.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLIE E. MERCHEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Bloomfield, in the county of Knox and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fence-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fence machines, and has for its object to provide a machine of this kind which may be used to weave fences as they are constructed, and which will include features of structure which will be novel and desirable.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claim without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in which similar parts are indicated by like numerals of reference in the several views: Figure 1 is a view of the complete machine, Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of one of the weaving members, Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the weaving members on line 33 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a View at right angles to Fig. 1, Fig. 5 is an elevational View of the stretcher, Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the stretcher, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the crank.

Referring now to the drawings, the present invention comprises an upright supporting rod 5, with which there are adjustably engaged a plurality of weaving members 6. Each of these members consists of a sprocket disk 7 having a circular boss 8 on one side concentric therewith. The boss is received withinan opening 9 formed in an enlarged head 10 at the outer end of a bracket 11 which extends horizontally from the rod 5, and which has a sleeve 12 at its inner end in which the rod is engaged for sliding movement of the sleeve thereupon. It will be understood that the bracket etc. are considered as being portions of the weaving members.

To each of the bosses, there is secured a circular plate 13, which extends outwardly beyond the head 10 in which the said boss is engaged, and the sprocket disks are thus revolubly mounted at the outer ends of the brackets. Central alining openings are formed in the sprocket disks and their attached plates, to form passages 14, and pivoted to each plate 13, there is a leaf 15 having a notch 16 in one edge, this leaf being movthe brackets at different points in their movement.

A bracket 19 is fixed upon the rod and extends oppositely from the brackets 11, this bracket 19 being extensible, as shown and at the outer end of the bracket 19 there is revolubly mounted similarly to the sprocket disks 7, a sprocket disk 20. This disk 20 and its attached plate 21, corresponding to the plates 13, are provided with a central passage 22 in which there is engaged a rod 23 squared at its outer ends for engagement in a similarly formed opening 24 in a crank 25. This crank consists of a bar A, having a laterally extending handle B at one end and a pair of spaced jaws'C at the other end, the opening 24 being formed adjacent to the jaws, which are adapted for engagement with the set screws 18 for operation thereof.

As shown, the brackets 11 and 19 are angular at their inner ends to offset the sprocket disks laterally from the rod 5, thus allowing a chain 26 engaged tortuously with the sprocket disks 7 to pass the rod 5 for engagement around the disk 20. It will thus'be apparent that rotation of the disk 20 will result in simultaneous rotation of the disks 7.

A foot piece 27 has a socket 28 in which the lower end of the rod 5 is engaged, and which includes an upwardly extending loop 29 for the reception of the foot of the operator to steady the machine.

In use, the strand wires of the fence are engaged through the passages 14, and binding wires are engaged through the passages 17. Rotation of the disks 7 thus wraps the binding wires around the strand wires to hold in position the stays which are of course placed between the two. When the strand wires are smooth, they are passed through the notches 16 of the plates 15, which are moved to extend over the passages 14, and in which position they are held by set screws 30. When cable or barbed wire is used the plates 15 are moved out of the just described position, as will be understood.

In Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings there is shown a stretcher for use on fences in connection with the present machine, comprising spaced side members 31 and 32 in which there is revolubly' mounted a transverse rod 33, having an opening 34 for the reception of the wire. The rod is squared at one end outwardly of the adjacent side member, as shown at 35, for engagement in the opening 24 of the crank 25. The side members 31 and 32 are connected by a back member 36 which has a tension device. 37 attached thereto.

Wvhat is claimed is:

A machine of the class described, comprismg a circular supporting rod, a plurality of brackets slidably engaged on the supporting rod, means for securing said brackets at any point in their movement, said brackets having enlarged outward end portions provided with circular openings laterally there through, said brackets having their inner ends bent laterally so that their enlarged portions lie in a common plane offset from the said supporting rod, sprocket disks having circular bosses revolubly engaged in the openings in the brackets, said sprocket disks having concentric openings and eccentric openings adjacent thereto within the area of the bosses, a circular plate secured to the face 01 each boss and having openings registering with those through the sprocket disks, said plates extending beyond the circumference of the bosses and over the enlarged portion of the bracket, means for reducing the size of the concentric openings, an extensible bracket slidably engaged on said supporting rod and extending oppositely from said first-named brackets and being oilset to lie in the same vertical plane therewith, an operating sprocket engaged with the extensible bracket, means for rotating the operating sprocket, a laterally extending arm secured to the base of the supporting rod and arranged for the engagement thereon of the foot of the operator, and a chain engaged commonly with the operating sprocket and said first-named sprockets.

In testimony whereof I allix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLIE E. MERCHEN Witnesses E. F. GIBBS, P. T. MALONE. 

